The hot line, run by the Virginia Department of Health with a federal grant from the Centers for Disease Control, ran out of money three months before its grant renews in April. Increased demand for its services — it helped 4,877 callers in 2011, almost triple the number from the year before — caused it to exhaust its Quitline funds early.

That's when the nonprofit Prevention Connections stepped in with emergency funding, up to $50,000, to ensure continuity of the service.

The nonprofit spun off in 2003 from the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth, whose purpose is to deter smoking and combat obesity in the state's young people. "It's able to expand its mission beyond youth and seek different funding," says Danny Saggese, board chairman of Prevention Connections. "We decided to cover the potential gap. Most referrals come from doctors. The last thing they want is patients coming back saying 'It doesn't exist.'"

The hot line provides individual access, for those aged 13 and older, to trained tobacco cessation counselors; it also offers information and self-help materials, including a free 2-week supply of nicotine patches or gum for the uninsured and those on Medicaid. There is no limit to the number of calls that people can make.

The hot line's success rate is between 15 and 20 percent, based on surveys conducted 30 days after counseling. That compares to a quitting rate of between 3 and 5 percent when tobacco users try the "cold-turkey" approach on their own. Research shows that it takes the average tobacco user seven attempts to quit successfully. The estimated costs to the state in lost productivity and health care is $6,300 per tobacco user. The Quit Now line's successes result in an almost $3 million savings to the state each year.

In April, the hot line will enter its fourth year of a 5-year renewable grant from the CDC, according to Myra Shook, health promotion program manager for the state's health department.

Want to quit?

Quit Now is Virginia's toll-free hot line offering tobacco cessation counseling; it operates round the clock to serve Virginians, age 13 years and older, who are trying to quit. 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669).